Cool TR! What a bugger to have the creek right below! I hate getting ropes wet!

This makes me wanna post up my w'end TR in here...

Cool TR! What a bugger to have the creek right below! I hate getting ropes wet!

This makes me wanna post up my w'end TR in here...

Dew eet!

D'oh! beat me to it and used better letters, too.

D'oh! beat me to it and used better letters, too.

Dude, nice job. 8+ and 9 after six months off would be tough for me to lead, even with bolts. Nice pics, too.

And I don't know why folks knock parties of three. Yeah, they aren't that efficient, but they're not that bad either. I find them to be quite fun sometimes (in fact, I can't remember a time when I didn't have fun climbing in three where any problem that may have arisen was attributed to three people instead of two).

Sweet, dude. Sounds like a fun weekend with you getting on both routes you wanted to get on. The place looks as if it has good climbing. Some nice topo pics there.

Gotta hit the sunscreen sooner, though.

Nice TR! That first pic of the crag with the two cars in the foreground makes the cliff look much smaller than it is.

Looks like a nice place to climb tough. Some good rock there.

Nice photos and well written!

I like the alternating photo sequence of you and Rob on the 8+.

Sounds like you all had a good time, and gave a friend a nice intro to climbing.

Cheers!

Yea funny that about the pics. There are a couple topos here on the knob, and the second pitch looks short way short. But on the Tree Root, a 50m rope will not reach, and a 60m is just long enough. Also, people will stand at the base and say that the P1 anchor is 100' or less. Its not. I yarded off my 50m rope and its 130-140 feet.

So, the opportunity presented itself this past weekend and we headed to E-Rock in the hope of getting on a few routes. A larger group was planned, with friends from College Station, as well as my wife and her colleague (a pure beginner). With the rain that ensued however, the larger contingent bailed, leaving just me, my wife and her friend.

Despite a down-sized group and the threat of rain, we had a great time! Actually our small party was perfect and although the rain delayed climbing until Saturday, we still managed a few climbs on the Backside throughout the (what ended up being) glorious day. It was in essence an introduction for our friend to the joys of climbing, so grades weren't a focus... just enjoyment.

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2558/4002666865_94b7fde9b3.jpg[/img]

Clouds hung around until midday, giving us a cool seige on the New Wall... we were the first to arrive and set up on Sweat (5.6). I lead it, so the girls could TR No Sweat (5.5) and and then Sweat. For both my wife and I it had been just over six months since we touched rock and so it was nice to get on some easy terrain. It was also our first visit to the backside (except for Deep Prok, which I had climbed two years ago). I tell ya though, Sweat is certainly sustained 5.6 (if you can say that about a 5.6...heh!).

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2657/4004039159_a18ee4806b.jpg[/img]
The wifey showing off her noo harness on No Sweat

After attacking Sweat, I thought I'd try the bolted line to the right (Pro Sweat 5.9), since it looked possible for me. It was wet at the bottom but I figured I needed a confidence boost, as I hadn't climbed a 5.9 since May 08. Besides, it has bolts! It was slick down low and it took me a bit to get that first bolt clipped, but once I was on the face and chalked up my toes I felt solid the whole way. Beautiful climb!

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2421/4004802666_83b15bd3ea.jpg[/img]
Our pure beginner friend, showing us a spontaneously-inspired new technique... the shin-jam!

The hords had turned up by this time, so we decided to escape the noise and head to Devil's Slide... and introduce our friend to some slab technique. We hopped on the furthest line on the right, which I guess was the first pitch of Mark Of The Beast; a 5.6 (also known as Christine's Variation??). My plan was to lead up to the anchors, then have the girls come up one at a time, for me to then lower them back to the ground. That way, I could most effectively give them a TR (since it's so long) and possibly snap a couple of pics while having them on an autoblock. The plan worked great and our friend padded her way up the whole pitch in her own full-speed-ahead-so-I-don't-freak-out time.

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3524/4004802530_301de49a00.jpg[/img]
Me on Pro Sweat (5.9)

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3472/4003430038_173ae97fcd.jpg[/img]
[image]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3286/4006987800_32aa12af41.jpg[/image]
Here, my wife floats up the 5.6 slab.

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2465/4003430262_a1db5e9a3e.jpg[/img]


By then the sun was out in full force, casting shadows across the slabs, and the afternoon was absolutely beautiful!

It was around then that somebody appeared from the trail to the base of the wall and declared that he may know who we were.... because of my accent! Hahahaa! It was none other than Justroberto!

The girls were done for the day, but I still had a climb in me, so Rob and I teamed up to try the first pitch of the new bolted route Kracken (5.8+). It was a great pitch and well worth the effort. It took me a short moment or two to get the right sequence over the overlap, but I figured it out (dunno if it's the right way, but it worked). A couple other 5.8 slab sections above that got me to the belay, where I brought up Rob. Overall, a great climb and certainly a 5.8!

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2668/4002667103_af2e0ceaf1.jpg[/img]
Me getting from the first bolt to the overlap.

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2533/4002667519_42e7af41ff.jpg[/img]
Rob checking out options.

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2644/4003430662_b9fd48b639.jpg[/img]
Mounting the overlap.

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2583/4002667741_4119584ddc.jpg[/img]
The 5.8 slab above.

A fun day, with great weather, was had by all.

Sunday came but blew in a drizzle and that ended any plans we thought we might have had, but we were happy with the climbing we did... around 400ft for the girls and about 700ft for me. I also got my head back on lead and am already promising myself greater things for the coming year.... we'll see how that turns out! Heh!!

Sunscreen, whats that.
Hey, and this was only the first day.
Yes, I'm stoked to have made it after a number of false starts, and aborted plans. So its all good. I thought I'd get more pitches in though. But really we got some good climbing in, and were plenty sore to show for it. A good kind of sore.
I think the area could yield more routes, but is kind of out of the main climbing circles of town. And it is a long standing trad area. All the main routes were well established over 20 years ago. Also, much of the new routes would need some bolts to make them reasonably protected. The only bolts are at the belay/rap stations, and those were added. The main verticle cracks are all gear placements. The rest of the rock is featured but not great pro wise. It would be interesting to scope it out more closely though.

Glad you finally got out. Been too long.

Don't know how you could handle the cold like that. I'd be in too much pain.

Sounds like you've found a place to push some limits, Don. Good jorb! Great to hear of people getting out on rock while most of the country is icing it up.

I should be getting out in Feb... finally... since Oct.

I will not read your blog.

me too.

You responded to an eight month old post just to be a dick?


Nice.